Asthma Amplifies Allergic Rhinitis Burden in Children

TOPLINE:

A recent survey underscored the substantial burden of moderate-to-severe perennial allergic rhinitis (AR) in children, particularly those with concomitant asthma, with significant implications for their caregivers and immediate family. Children with both conditions used medications more frequently throughout the year and required more frequent healthcare visits.

METHODOLOGY:

• Between January and April 2023, researchers conducted an online survey across Canada, Denmark, and the United Kingdom to assess how moderate-to-severe perennial AR — particularly when accompanied by asthma — affects children and their caregivers.
• They enrolled 877 caregivers of children (mean age, 11.6 years; 58% boys) with moderate-to-severe perennial AR, of whom 356 had concomitant asthma. House dust mite was the most common allergy.

TAKEAWAY:

• Among children with perennial AR, those with concomitant asthma were more likely than those without asthma to have three or more comorbidities (55% vs 13%) and to have three or more allergies. (64% vs 45%).
• Children with asthma also missed more school hours each month (7.2 vs 4.6 mean h/mo; P < .001), and their caregivers were more likely to have taken time off from work in the past year due to the condition (46% vs 24%; P < .001).
• Children with AR used allergy medications for several months each year, averaging 7.1 months for tablets or capsules, 6.8 months for nasal sprays, and 5.2 months for eye drops; durations were longer among those with concomitant asthma.

IN PRACTICE:

“Our findings highlight a crucial need for treatments providing long-term symptom control in children with perennial AR and concomitant asthma,” the authors wrote. “Effective allergy medication has the potential not only to improve the health and well-being of the affected children but also to alleviate the broader negative societal and familial impacts associated with the conditions.”

SOURCE:

Mercedes Romano Rodriguez , MSc, with ALK-Abelló, Hørsholm, Denmark, was the corresponding author of the study, which was published online on July 1 in The Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology: Global.

LIMITATIONS:

Survey participants might not be representative of the patient population overall. Collection of data during COVID-19 surges could have “amplified the perceived burden of both AR and asthma,” the authors noted.

DISCLOSURES:

The study was supported by ALK-Abelló, a pharmaceutical company that markets immunotherapy for allergies. Two authors declared being employees of the company, and other authors disclosed receiving fees from or having other ties with the company.

This article was created using several editorial tools, including AI, as part of the process. Human editors reviewed this content before publication.